Spotlight attachment for mirrors



April 29, 1952 c, MEAD 2,594,784

SPOTLIGHT ATTACHMENT FOR MIRRORS Filed May 14, 1948 Bnventor I w; V(IttoTnegs is to provide an rear view'mirror 'toa spot lamp, which meanspossesses important "advantages 'in' manufacturandpleasing I PatentedApr. 29, 1952 SPOTLIGHTATTACHMENT FOR MIRRORS Howard C. Mead,"Anderson,Ind., ass'ignorto General Motors Corporation, .poration of;DelawareDetroit, .Mich.,a cor- ApplicationpMay'u, 1948; Serial No. "27,071

a4 Glaims.

such anarrangement eliminates the necessity of separate supportingbrackets extending outward "from-the frame of the'vehicle. Further, withthe spotlampmounted dirigibly-and controllablefrom inside'the operator'scompartment; this arrange- "ment permits using "the spot lamp controlmeans -for adjusting -the mirror position when the "is not'in-use.

"Howeven-since the most convenient height of the mirror locationwill-varysomewhat as "between operators of different bodily heights, 'itis -r"desir'a ble.' that the mirror be adjustable in height "relativeitothevehicle. Also, it'is-desirable from '"a --production 'andsalesstandpoint'that the spot '=lamp' beso designed that the provision forat- "tachability ofthe mirror does not detract from the pleasingexternal appearance of the lamp, thereby allowing-for both the sale of"the spot lamp separatelyand 'for' possiblesubsequent removal of themirror by the purchaser of r a spot lamp with "'mirror attached.

: A principal-object therefore of'this invention improved means'foratta'ching a ing econommsimplic'ityof assembly, "externalappearance.

A further object of the invention is to "provide animproved means forattaching a rear view mirrorto a spot lamp, whichmeans allows for"adjustment of the height. of "the mirror relative to the spot-lamp.

---A-' still" further object of the invention'is to provide an improvedmeans for attaching arear view m'irrortoa'spot lamp, which means-allowsfor *attachmentand subsequent removal of the mirror without resultantdetraction from the original pleasingexternal appearance of the lamp.

' The invention including other objects and'advan'tages thereof will be'fully understood from 'the'followingidescription,together with thedraw- "ings inwhich: r

*Figure lis a'fragmentaryside elevation of "a *"spot'lamp and rear viewmirror embodying my -invention,shown dirigibly mounted to the frame *oran automotive vehicle body.

lamp

Figure 2 is anenlarged'fragmentary reai"elevation of the lamp and mirroror" Figurelil, with portions of the 'mirror broken-away to bring otherparts into view.

Figure 3 is a section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing a modifiedconstruction of the mirror 'and the means for attaching the same to aspot lamp.

As shown in Figuresl to 3' of the drawings'ijthe mirror I comprises asheet 2 of transparent material such as glass and of circular or otherout-- line, having its inner surface coated'wi'thalight reflectingmedium and painted in conventional manner, and'backed by a "gasket 3andarreinforcement-member "or shell 4, the sides 13 of the latter beingcrimped'around the outer edges'of the asket 3 and glass sheet 2ftosealandprote'ct the same. Informing-the shell 4, an apertured rectangular orother non-circular shaped depression or housing 5 is provided centrallythereof to "accommodatethe similarly shaped head :6 Joli -a threadedbolt i, which is installed prior to the aforesaid crimping operation.

The mirror flis secured by the bolt! to'one end of an arm 8 which isprovided with'two c0ncentric annular bosses 9 and in, the inner boss '9being apertured for passage of the bolt 7; andthe outer boss IEover-extending the inner boss by an amount slightly greater'than thedepth of the depression 5 in order to provide anabu'tment for the shell4 when the latter is tightened-against the arm by drawing up a nut I lon thebolt 1.

The opposite end 20f the arm 8 is'provided with concentric innerandouter annizlar'bosses l6 and i7, generally similar'in form' tothe bosses9 and H! but disposed on the opposite side of the arm 8, with theinnerboss l6 having a threaded blind hole l8 centrally therein from whichextends a stud 19 for securing the arm 8 to the casing 4 enclosing'therear-'endof'the spot lamp #5. The outerboss l1 over extends the innerboss I 5 sufliciently to enable the former 'to press-slightly heavier onthe "curved surface'jo f the lamp casing i4 when assembled thereto'thandoes the inner boss I 6.

The lamp casing [4 has an aperture'Zl'for passage of the stud l9 whichis journaled therein and held by a nut 22 drawn up against a lock Washer23 and a cup-shaped washer 24, which latterin turn bears against theinner-surface of the-lamp casing is. 'Awasher or-gasket 25 ofsoftfrubbjer or other suitable resilient material 'm'aybe' placedbetween the lamp casing Hi and the bossesilfi andll'on the arm'8 to sealagainst theentrance of moisture into the aperture 2|, and to provide asuitable frictional resistanceagainst relative movement between the arm8 and lamp casing it except during manual adjustments of the mirrorheight.

A relatively tight threaded engagement of the stud I9 is employed bothin the boss I6 and in the nut 22, in order to insure against the studturning relative to either of those parts when the arm is moved relativeto the spot lamp in making adjustments of mirror height.

Since it may be desired to use the spot lamp I without the mirror I andarm 8 attached thereto, provision therefore is made in the forming ofthe lamp casing M to permit closing the aperture 2I with an oval-shapedscrew or bolt (not shown). For this purpose the material of the lampcasing I4 surrounding the aperture 21 is extended inwardly as shown at25 to provide a conical seat for the head of an oval-headed screw orbolt.

As shown in Figure 1 the spot lamp I5 is preferably dirigibly mounted tothe vehicle body frame2l' through any convenient cated generally at 23,which will enable the operator to adjust the angular position of thespot lamp (and alternatively the rear view mirror I, by reason of itsattachment to the spot lamp) from within the vehicle body. The mirror Ibeing adjustable in height relative to the vehicle by swinging the arm 3relative to the spot lamp, can thereby be positioned to properly suitthe convenience of vehicle operators of substantially different bodyheights.

In Figure 4 is shown another preferred embodiment of the invention,having certain functional and manufacturing advantages over thatprevieusly described. The back of the mirror I05 comprising the coatedglass sheet 2 and gasket 3 is enclosed by an outer shell 154 and aninnerstiffening member or spacer I33. The shell Iilll is dished .as shown toprovide a convex outer surface to the back of the mirror for a pleasingexternal appearance, and the peripheral portions H3 are bezelled aroundthe glass sheet 2, The spacer member I38 is also dished to conform tothe concave inner surface of the shell I94, except for a flat annularportion I29 adjacent its periphery where it presses against the gasket3, and two flat portions 35 and i3I located approximately centraliy. ofthe wardtherefrom respectively. Aligned apertures are provided in theshell we and spacer I38 at the flatportions 85 and it i.

The arm Hi8 securing the mirror to the spot lamp is generally similar tothearm 8 previously described but differs at the mirror end in that theinner boss I69 is provided with a blind threaded hole I32 instead of athrough aperture, and the outer boss Ht is provided with a projectionI33 which engages with the shell I84 and. fiat portion I95 of the spacerthrough the aligned apertures therein. A screw I96 extending through theapertures in the shell um and fiat portion I3I of the spacer isthreadedly secured in the hole I 32 of the inner boss I89. With thisconstruction the mirror IEI is locked against rotation relative to thearm I538 during movements of the latter in makin adjustments of themirror height.

The spot lamp end of the arm I,%& differs from that of the previouslydescribed arm 8 in that the inner boss H6, which is circular incrosssection, is increased in length so that it extends through andjournals in the aperture I2I provided in the rear end of the lamp casingI It. The

means, indi-' mirror and at a point radially outprojecting end of theboss I I6 has a further concentric extension I34 which may be ofsomewhat smaller diameter and which journals in the aperture of thewasher I24. The arm is held against the lamp casing by a screw I22threadedly engaging the inner boss I I6 and drawn up against acup-shaped washer I23 which in turn resiliently bears against the washerI24. A tight threaded fit is provided between the screw I22 and theinner boss IIB to insure against their relative turning during rotationof the arm I08 about the lamp casing.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, should it be desired to use thespot lamp without the mirror attached the aperture I2I in the lampcasing H4 may be conveniently closed by a snap plug (not shown) ofconventional form.

The heretofore described means for attaching a rear view mirror to aspot lamp are not only cheap and simple to produce, but additionallyafford obtaining a pleasing external appearance of the spot lamp andmirror in combination. Further, the invention obtains these resultswithout requiring any appreciable change in the structure or appearanceof the spot lamp per se, that is where the latter is to be sold withoutthe mirror attached or where the mirror is subsequently to be removedfrom the spot lamp.

I claim:

1. In combination, a mirror body including a mirror element, an outershell having an outwardly dished portion enclosing the back of theelement and edge portions forming a bezel around the periphery of theelement, and a spacer member between the back of the element and thedished portion of the shell; said shell and spacer member having twopairs of aligned apertures; an arm extending transversely to the mirroraxis externally of theshell and having a boss conforming in curvature tothe outer-surface ofthe dished portionoi the shell; means extendingthrough one of said pairs of aligned apertures for clamping the mirrorbody to the arm and means integral with said boss and extending throughthe other pair of apertures for locking the mirror body against relativerotation with the arm; a second boss adjacent the opposite end of thearm and on the opposite side thereof from the mirror; a spot lamp havinga casing enclosing its rear end and provided with an aperture; saidsecond boss conforming in curvature to the curvature of the lamp casingcircumferentially about the aperture in the latter; a portion integralwith the arm and journaled in the aperture in the casing; and meanswithin the lamp casing and secured to the said integral portion forclamping said second boss against the lamp casing.

2. Means for rotatively mounting a rear view mirror on a spot lampcasing comprising: a mirror element, an outer support shell for saidmirror with two apertures therein, a mounting arm having on one end aboss conforming in curvature to the outer surface of said mirror shell,means extending through one of said apertures for clamping said arm tosaid mirror shell, said boss having a portion extending through saidother aperture for looking the mirror shell against rotaticn relative tothe arm; a spot lamp casing provided with an aperture therein, a boss onthe other end of said arm conforming in curvature to the surface of saidcasing adjacent to the aperture, a portion integral with said arm andjournaled in the casing aperture, said boss and said portion providingbearing surfaces between said arm and said shell, radially spaced withrespect to the axis of said integral portion and means within saidcasing secured to said integral portion for clamping said last mentionedboss against the casing.

33. Means for attaching a rear view mirror to a spot lamp, including acasing enclosing the rear end of the spot lamp and provided with anaperture therein, an arm extending transversely from the rear end of thelamp casing, said arm having an integrally formed annular boss in closefitting abutment with the external surface of said casing spacedlyconcentric with said aperture, a second boss formed integrally with thearm and journaled in the aperture, means within the easing and incombination with said second boss for clamping said annular boss intight frictional engagement with the external surface of the casing,whereby said arm may be rotatively adjusted with respect to the spotlamp casing, and means for attaching to said arm a rear view mirror sothat the mirror can be rotated on an axis about the spot lamp casing.

4. Means for rotatively mounting a rear view mirror on a spot lampcasing comprising: a mirror element, a backing shell for said mirrorhaving two apertures therein, a mounting arm having on HOWARD C. MEAD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,237,524 Kaufmann Aug. 21, 19171,308,182 Leuokert July 1, 1919 1,309,714 Anderson July 15, 19191,361,434 Anderson Dec. 7, 1920 1,803,433 Martinek May 5, 1931 1,909,526Falge May 16, 1933 2,119,654 Stone June 7, 1938 Aves Dec. 14, 1948

